Homeless deaths in Scotland fall as they climb in other parts due to lack of national leadership

Professor John Robertson OBA Once again, I’m grateful to Brenda Robb for finding this and researching it for us. From BBC UK today but ignored by BBC Scotland, the above and: The figures show that 1,142 deaths were in England, an increase of 16% on the year before. London had the highest total number of deaths, but the largest increases were in Nottingham, where the number of deaths doubled to 22, and in Exeter, where they more than doubled from eight to 21. In Northern Ireland, deaths increased by more than a third between 2023 and 2024, to 211. Wales saw a … Continue reading Homeless deaths in Scotland fall as they climb in other parts due to lack of national leadership

I repeat, how can a half-empty ferry be a ‘lifeline’ to a mainland town when there’s a road that’s more than one hour quicker than the ferry?

to Campbelltown next summer. Local businesses had hoped the company would be able to restore the seasonal service next year. The route was suspended because of the problems the company was facing maintaining lifeline services. Local businesses [only one really in the online report] and councillors [none quoted in the report below] want Transport Scotland and the Scottish Government to intervene Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today merely repeats the 30 July 2025 story in The Express which had merely repeated the February 26th 2025 news of the cancellation of the Campbelltown to Ardrossan ferry. This is still not … Continue reading I repeat, how can a half-empty ferry be a ‘lifeline’ to a mainland town when there’s a road that’s more than one hour quicker than the ferry?

‘Gangs of sinister, feral young men’ from England fuelling Scotland’s drug deaths, targeting vulnerable women and causing small town violence surges

Professor John Robertson OBA The Scotsman last week had: Gangs of sinister, feral young men show why Police Scotland needs extra £140 million – Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell has sounded an alarm that politicians must heed Just who these young men are where they come from is left out so that readers might think they’re Scots but they’re not. As far back as 2018, the Liverpool Echo began a run of reports telling exactly where they’re from, with: How Liverpool’s drug criminals are fuelling Scotland’s gang wars In 2022: Liverpool drug gangs target Scots towns and cities as … Continue reading ‘Gangs of sinister, feral young men’ from England fuelling Scotland’s drug deaths, targeting vulnerable women and causing small town violence surges

The news that we are no better than English people who riot and who always vote for parties led by Nigel Farage

By Liz S The dominant English press whose publications stick a ‘Scottish’ label upon their various editions that they distribute within Scotland will always tell us that there is no “Scottish exceptionalism” in respect to anything….or anyone. It is these ‘Scottish’ editions that are the ‘favourite’ newspapers that the BBC in Scotland always refer to and so discuss on BBC GMS Radio programmes as being the ‘News where we are’……as examples of how #ScotlandIsS**** and why it is always only the #SNP who are #BAD. Like for example………as ‘newspapers’………. The Times (supposed ‘Scottish edition) …..**below** are some of it’s various headline articles ….in it’s, so … Continue reading The news that we are no better than English people who riot and who always vote for parties led by Nigel Farage

As the Herald insists island communities deserve ferry services that are fit for purpose how the Scottish Government transformed their economies in 2020

Professor John Robertson OBA The above chart from the Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff [RET] on the Clyde and Hebridean Network Prepared for Transport Scotland March 2020 reveals a massive increase in ferry usage to the islands with a consequent economic boost, but increasing costs for the taxpayer in lost revenue. The comparison is based on ticket sales only and takes no account of retail revenue, which is likely to have increased as a result of the increased numbers of passengers. What is the RET? In October 2008, Transport Scotland introduced the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) fares policy as a pilot on … Continue reading As the Herald insists island communities deserve ferry services that are fit for purpose how the Scottish Government transformed their economies in 2020

How Scottish Government support for business dwarves that of UK Government by a factor of 60!

By stewartb From the Scottish Business section of the BBC News website (October 1): ‘Tech projects to receive share of government fund’. We’re told: ‘ScotlandIS’ Future Ready programme, which provides business support and learning resources for tech businesses across the country, and Game Space in Dundee, who support those working in the country’s gaming industry, are among the recipients of funding from the UK government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT’s) Regional Tech programme.’ The BBC understands the two Scottish projects will each receive £30,000: the DSIT has told the BBC the money will support at least 30 businesses in Scotland. … Continue reading How Scottish Government support for business dwarves that of UK Government by a factor of 60!

Fuel poverty – in Scotland, it need not be this way.

Will it be food in the house? Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland in their BBC Breakfast insert have the above story minus of course the hugely significant consideration that, in Scotland, it need not be this way. In August 2025, we had the information. As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Michael Shanks will not protect us and why Scots would pay far less after independence As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Scots would pay far less once independent. From stewartb in June 2025: I fear that a majority of the electorate in Scotland still have NO IDEA … Continue reading Fuel poverty – in Scotland, it need not be this way.

How’s the mood there in Liverpool? Well the drug gangs are enjoying the one-way trade making millions and keeping Scotland’s drug deaths up

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland are in Liverpool today for the Labour Party Conference but they haven’t managed to pin Anas down for some tough questions about his boss or the numerous sex -offenders he hosts. Will their BBC Liverpool colleagues be asking how Glasgow has managed to get such a low crime rate since the SNP took over? Eurovision Decision: Liverpool has nearly twice the … Continue reading How’s the mood there in Liverpool? Well the drug gangs are enjoying the one-way trade making millions and keeping Scotland’s drug deaths up

Ferret journalists far more than ‘slightly’ wrong on Pete Wishart’s accurate claim that English drug deaths are ‘written out of figures’ when UK civil servants estimated 25% undercounting in 2023!

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Bob Lamont for alerting me to this: The Ferret on 24 September 2025, concluded: Pete Wishart is wrong to say that “thousands of deaths in England simply written out of the figures”. The statistics on the total number of drug-related deaths in England are not in question, but new research has found undercounting in the proportion of deaths that … Continue reading Ferret journalists far more than ‘slightly’ wrong on Pete Wishart’s accurate claim that English drug deaths are ‘written out of figures’ when UK civil servants estimated 25% undercounting in 2023!

Scotland’s better building standards mean no ‘towers of terror’ here much as the Sunday Mail might wish for them

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA The Sunday Mail‘s front page is a classic of melodramatic misrepresentation of the facts, based with little apparent sense of irony, upon a 1968 explosion in London and pointing to risk in large panel systems. What are these LPS concrete panels the Sunday Mail would have us panic over? From Grok AI (Powerfully helpful as long as you ask the right questions and can … Continue reading Scotland’s better building standards mean no ‘towers of terror’ here much as the Sunday Mail might wish for them